‘I knew this was my last chance’

A string of punches was all it took — a swift uppercut to erase the Chicago World Championships despair...

A string of punches was all it took — a swift uppercut to erase the Chicago World Championships despair, a left jab to push away the Bangkok disappointment and, most importantly, a straight right for a place at the Beijing Olympics. Vijender was back.

Third-time lucky, the boxer qualified for the August games after his gold-medal performance at a recently concluded qualifier in Astana, Kazakhstan. “There was a bit of tension for sure, after US and Bangkok. I was scared. But I also knew that this was my last chance. It was now or never,” Vijender told The Indian Express. And for more shades of retribution, take a look at his opponent in the final at Astana — the same Korean boxer who had sent his hopes crashing in Bangkok earlier this year.

At the start of the season, the pugilist from Bhiwani had been touted as a sureshot, a certainty to be the first to Beijing. Coach GS Sandhu said it was pressure that took its toll on him. “He was very demoralised. I had to speak to his parents, to his friends, and help him get back to his best. I was sure he would qualify; I told him ‘there can’t be a team without you’,” Sandhu said.

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Vijender, too, said the two losses had been unexpected. “I lost in the second round at both places. I had bad luck, and a sore back. But something can be learnt from every loss. When I found I was going to face that same boxer here, I was 100 per cent confident of making it. I thought it was my chance to take revenge,” he said. Sure enough, he barely conceded any points on his way to victory.

“My coaches, especially Jaidev Bisht, were a great help. They devised a special programme to help me prepare for the qualifiers. They made me work on my footwork and straight punches, which is one of my strengths now. The training camps were very helpful, and I will continue with the same techniques right till the Olympics.”

The boxers returned from Kazakhstan on Wednesday night, and Vijender immediately made his way home to Bhiwani. He returns to Delhi this evening for the Inter-Railways boxing tournament, which begins from Friday.

“In Beijing, we’ll see what happens. The hope for a medal is always there. The boxers from Cuba and Russia will provide the toughest competition, but I’ll give it my best shot,” he added.